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Experience the magic of Christmas and the season when more than 80 high-energy teenage choir members sing and dance at “A Holiday Concert and Family Festival 2012.”

Presented by Mainstage Center for the Arts, the event features “Harmony” and “Encore,” two “Glee”-type show choirs consisting of highly-talented, selected teenagers from throughout South Jersey.

The concert will be a two-hour, full-production show on Saturday and Sunday.

“The entire show is music. I doubt that there is a holiday song that you won’t hear,” said Ed Fiscella, producing artistic director of Mainstage.

“Our show choirs do a lot of tours, especially the ‘Harmony’ show choir. The holiday concert is one of the first times we get to perform for ourselves and for the Mainstage family,” said Fiscella.

“Lighting, staging, costumes and scenery are very important because this is our own holiday show as opposed to the kids performing in a fair or a festival.”

Portions from the Nutcracker Ballet will be presented by the High Pointe Dance Troupe, a Mainstage company.

In addition, there will be a guest appearance by Robin Wilson, an internationally acclaimed opera singer. Wilson, a graduate of Rowan University, has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, and at famous opera festivals throughout the world. She won the Meistersinger vocal competition in Graz, Austria.

For the first time, Mainstage will be presenting its holiday concert over two days instead of the usual one. The extra performance will give more South Jersey residents the opportunity to experience a Mainstage show.

But more than a concert, the event is also a family festival, which will be held in the lobby of the concert hall one hour before each show time. Santa will visit, hot chocolate and cider will be available to purchase, and guests will have the chance to make a holiday ornament, or participate in Mainstage’s famous “cookie walk” fundraiser, Fiscella said.

Purchase an empty plastic bag, and fill it with your choice of homemade cookies on display along the cookie walk. Proceeds benefit the “Harmony” show choir, which will tour next August and perform alongside professional performing arts groups in either New York City or Nashville.

“They are our ambassadors,” said Fiscella referring to “Harmony,” which consists of teenage performers in grades 9 through 12.

“They come from all over South Jersey and they are the best of all the high school students who audition.

“When people think of Mainstage, they often think, ‘Oh, it’s a lot of kids.’ But these kids are polished and have a professional performance,” said Fiscella. “It is something that we are proud of at Mainstage.”

Over the years, “Harmony” has performed at events in Honolulu, Nashville, Myrtle Beach, Toronto, New York City, Washington D.C., and Orlando, Fla.

“They get these pretty cool experiences,” said Fiscella. “In 2008, they had the chance to open for Elton John and Patti LaBelle in Philadelphia.”

This year, they choir opened and closed the entertainment at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Tickets for the holiday concert are $11 for adults and $9 for seniors and children under 12. Visit www.mainstage.org or call (856) 227-3091. A nominal fee will be charged for the ornament-making station and other activities held during the pre-concert family festival.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Dennis Flyer Auditorium on the campus of Camden County College, Blackwood. Family festival activities begin at 6:30 p.m.

Mainstage Center for the Arts, the parent program for Summer Stage, is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization headquartered in Blackwood. Mainstage provides a creative, vibrant, and nurturing environment for youth and adults.

His global album sales have topped 75 million, making him the best-selling instrumentalist of the modern recording era. Yet his laid back, smooth jazz persona, when combined with his music, has made him a favorite pop-culture target of satirists, stand-ups and comedy sketch writers.

Through it all, saxophone star Kenny G. is comfortable in his skin. He accepts the good-natured kidding he absorbs, even if it’s at the hands of the creators of the irreverent Comedy Central series “South Park,” a show that often straddles the line separating good clean comedy from incredibly bad taste.

“There was also an episode of ‘South Park’ where they made a little cartoon version of me and completely made fun of me,” Kenny G. recounted with a laugh during a July interview with the Huffington Post. “I love it. I’m super-flattered. I feel super cool to even be on the radar of these people.”

And then there’s the recurring “Saturday Night Live” sketch titled “What Up With That,” in which “SNL” cast member Fred Armisen hangs in the background doing an exaggerated impression of Kenny G. The musician, who began his professional career as a high school senior when he joined R&B singer Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra, has no problem with the ribbing.

Had he not been one of the world’s best-selling musicians, he’d be just another anonymous musician struggling to find gigs. The teasing is an acceptable trade-off for being one of the world’s most successful performers.

It’s also led to some interesting pairings for Kenny G. (the “G” stands for Gorelick).

He popped up on “SNL” last season performing with the indie pop band Foster The People. It was an odd pairing to everyone except Kenny G., who jumped at the chance to perform with the trio of 20-something artists. The 56-year-old Seattle native knew it would introduce him and his music to a younger demographic.

“When someone from Foster The People called me in the first place, I was amazed that I was even on their radar, but he explained to me that his mom had taken him to one of my concerts when he was young and he loved it,” Kenny G. said.

Kenny G. is currently nearing the end of his fall tour and has his GPS programmed to find the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, where he’ll perform Saturday evening.

For most recording artists, tours are planned around the release of an album to gain maximum promotional exposure. Not Kenny G.

He’s never followed the rules of record promotion. If he did tour primarily to promote an album, he’d probably be barn-storming India this weekend instead of South Jersey.

That’s because his most recent album, “Namaste,” was recorded with Indian santoor player Rahul Sharma and released last summer.

Throughout his career, Kenny G. has always explored unique collaborations with artists from around the world. He teamed up with Sharma after the Indian musician brazenly called the American artist’s hotel room during his first tour of India a few years ago.

It was also the first time Kenny G. really took full advantage of the broad array of technology, like file sharing and sharing musical ideas, because the two artists making the album were half a world apart.

“We did this whole album via uploading and downloading material and using all of the modern technology that’s out there,” he said. “It opened my eyes to the fact that I could do this same thing with a guy in China and try doing some Chinese music.”

Out of all the countries where Kenny G. could consider collaborating with other musicians, there’s a reason he singled out China. He’s massively popular in the Asian markets, no more so than in China. His set list for a Chinese show would be radically different from the songs he peforms when he’s touring the United States.

He’s been touring China every year for the past 25 years.

“I’ve done some great stuff collaborating with some Chinese singers and musicians,” he said. “There are a couple of songs that I’ve done there that are super-famous in China that nobody would know here. When I’m there, they get very excited and beg me to play those songs. It’s really fun.”

–David J. Spatz / Photos provided

Kenny G’s 2012 Holiday Show is at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood. Tickets are $45-$60. For more information, go to www.ticketmaster.com.

More often than not, alliteration feels like a cheap parlor trick. I’ve never dunkin’ed a Dunkin’ Donut before, but I’m pretty confident the reaction would be similar to the time-elapsed penny in soda science experiment parents use to scare their sugar-addict children.

The only thing Beyond the Bed and the Bath in that store is how beyond tired I am of feigning interest in bamboo dish racks. Oh, this one is naturally anti-microbial? You don’t say.

Occasionally, however, the Great Imperial They get it right. Take, for instance, the Beef, Beer, Bikes & Bowie fundraiser Saturday at the Perkins Center for the Arts in Collingswood. The event is being held in support of the Collingswood Bike Share program and will feature food, drinks, and a song-by-song recreation of “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” album.

At first you’re probably like wait, hold up — all those B’s AND Bowie, comma David?

But lo and behold, in addition to the eyeliner and one-pieces, the feathered hairdo’s and random movie parts, Bowie is a dude who really loved to bike. The Thin White Duke could talk Schwinn, Trek and Cannondale with the best of them.

Or maybe it’s a lot simpler than that.

“A couple of years ago I mentioned to Joe Bonaparte, the director of the Collingswood Bike Share, that I wanted to do the ‘Ziggy’ album with all different singers,” recounts Kevin Monko, photographer by day and the glam superstar by night who will direct a group of talented musicians as they perform the epically odd, spaced-out freak carnival 1972 classic. “He’d had the same idea, but it was always on the back burner because of all the moving parts. It was likely that this would never materialize.”

Materialize it did. Bonaparte was so excited by the idea of pairing the bike share with someone “jamming good with weird and gilly,” he called Monko, placed him in charge of orchestrating the evening’s entertainment, and picked a date on the calendar.

“I love this record,” says Monko. “The first time I heard the ‘Ziggy’ album, I was poking around in a record store on my way to a movie. ‘Five Years,’ the opening track, came on and I was sucked in — I stayed for the whole thing, never made the movie. It’s difficult to find somebody who thinks this record sucks.”

Any self-respecting Diamond Dog would know that if you’re going to do Ziggy, you better go big. That’s why Monko recruited a core of pro-caliber Collingswood musicians to make up the band, and has pooled together an elaborate stage with lighting effects.

“We wanted to make it a community event,” he says. “So rather than tap a bunch of musician friends from Philly, I hoped to get some local talent together. We’ve got a crew of enthusiastic, talented, classy, dedicated musicians, performers and volunteers putting in a lot of time to make this a real happening.”

And if it’s community you want, look no further than the Bike Share. The program employs recycled bicycles — fixed up by mechanics volunteering their time — and challenges residents of the borough to think green and use two wheels instead of four.

“All different kinds of people have been participating,” says Joan Leonard, borough commissioner. “It’s a great example of recycling and you hope people understand how important it is not to waste.”

Participants pay an annual fee of $25 and use the system like a library — borrowing a bike according to need for both short and extended periods.

“You can’t say in Collingswood that you can’t ride a bike — unless you fall off,” quips Leonard. “Bike Share has been a real gift to the community and I think the town has really embraced it.”

Saturday night, the town is going to embrace Monko and his Gang.

“I honestly have no idea what anybody in the band is wearing, but I suspect there will be some shiny stuff, some furry stuff, some feathers, some spandex, and some makeup,” he says. “Hopefully nobody will fall off their platform shoes.”

It’s going to be a great, grand, groovy and g-awesome!

—Matt Chimento / Photo by Scarlet Rowe

Beef, Beer, Bikes and Bowie is from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Perkins Center for the Arts, 30 Irvin Ave., Collingswood. Proceeds benefit Collingswood Bike Share. Tickets are $25 and are available via PayPal at collingswood.bikeshare@gmail.com or during Bike Share hours (6-8 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays). Limited supply of tickets also available at Frugal Resale, 740 Haddon Ave. Only 150 tickets will be sold.

Hair-raising experiences become fund-raising events for two historical organizations in the Black Horse Pike vicinity this weekend.

With Halloween right around the corner, there is no better time to spend an evening with the South Jersey Ghost Research (SJGR), a non-profit organization using technology to gather data on the paranormal since 1955.

Two historic sites in Black Horse Pike communities — one built in 1756 and the other built in 1730 — will be researched and benefit from the events.

More than 100 participants in search of ghosts and other unexplained phenomena are expected at the Gabreil Daveis Tavern in Gloucester Township tonight and at the Olde Stone House Village in Washington Township on Saturday.

At both the Gloucester Township and Washington Township events, visitors will see a video of the work researchers do, hear a lecture, and view a display of photographs taken by SJGR, which has conducted scores of investigations of buildings and graveyards in the South Jersey and Philadelphia region.

Ghost tour events are designed by SJGR to give participants a chance to witness a paranormal event, and to provide a glimpse into the world of ghost investigations.

Technical equipment researchers use to gather data such as cameras, audio recording devices and temperature sensors, will be in use.

“We take 15 people every 15 minutes through the house,” said Joanne Carr, past president of the Gloucester Township Historic and Scenic Preservation Committee who is coordinating “Do You Believe in Ghosts? We Do” at the Gabreil Daveis Tavern.

“Then we go upstairs with the equipment, close the doors, turn off the lights and see what happens,” said Carr. “Sometimes nothing happens — and sometime something happens.”

The entire tour takes about an hour.

Workmen, park police, building docents, and regular visitors have all reported strange phenomena at the Gabriel Davies Tavern, a three-story stone building that was once designated a field hospital by President George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

Carr said she has experienced odd things herself.

Happenings at the tavern have included lights and alarms that go on and off for no reason, strange breezes felt on the backs of necks, and unexplained scents, such as the whiff of baby powder. Strange people who shouldn’t be in the building have been seen by witnesses, or through the lens of a camera.

Researchers have collected photographs of floating orbs in the tavern and on the grounds, Carr said. Once, an agonizing groan was caught on a recording inside the building, although no one heard the sound with their human ears.

“There are many, many stories about the tavern. But that is for people to believe for themselves, or not,” said Carr.

“We sell more than 100 tickets to go into the house, but there are many more people who don’t go through the house, they just come for the evening outside. We will have a campfire, so people can toast marshmallows, buy refreshments on site, or take a flashlight tour to Mr. Schuck’s grave.”

William F. Schuck, the last owner of the house — an artist and a devotee to the natural environment and local history — died in 1976 and is buried on the site.

At the Gabreil Daveis Tavern, there will be a Kids’ Corner where children can collect their fill of Halloween candy. Also, there will be a pavilion where visitors can try out L-shaped copper dousing rods, a devise used to communicate with the dead, according to spiritualists.

The SJRG does not charge local historical organizations for conducting ghost-hunting events, but uses the tours as opportunities to continue their research. “All of our proceeds from ghost investigation activities have helped us with the publication of the Gloucester Township history book, and are used for operating expenses at the Gabreil Daveis Tavern,” said Carr.

“We hope that those who attend the ghost tour will come back to the tavern for a daylight tour — to see the history, which is our goal.”

–Jeanne Ridgway / Photos by Scott Anderson

‘Do You Believe in Ghosts? We Do’ will be from 6:30 to 10:30 tonight at the Gabriel Daveis Tavern, at the foot of 4th Ave., just off the Black Horse Pike, in Gloucester Township.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for children under 12 for the tour, or free for those who wish only to walk the grounds and enjoy the campfire. Refreshments will be sold.

If it rains, the Gloucester Township tour will be canceled.

A similar event, called ‘The Ghost Hunting Experience’ will be held at the Old Stone House Village, where two houses will be open for touring 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for children under 12.

The Olde Stone House Village is at 208 Egg Harbor Road, Washington Township. The event is offered by the Washington Township Historic Preservation Commission, which is raising funds for historic building repair and site restoration.

Taking in some classic Elizabethan theater may not be on your top 10 list of things to do for weekend entertainment.

But rest assured, The Dead Playwrights Repertory, which performs at The Friends Meeting House in Haddonfield, is on a mission to change any erroneous perceptions anyone might have about William Shakespeare and some of his contemporaries.

“I think many people have this notion that Shakespearean plays are boring and that Shakespeare himself was an elitist,” conjectures actress and DPR board member Carol Leister. “The reality is, he wrote for the masses and not for intellectuals. In fact, most of his and other classic works are not at all boring or daunting, but actually quite fun,” she muses.

To be sure, there is a definite commitment to maintaining the integrity of the original period language, rhyme and meter, but what really makes The Dead Playwrights Repertory unique is that they have freshened up traditional plots by integrating contemporary spins.

For example, the popular Shakespeare tragedy “Julius Caesar,” which the company performed this spring under the title “The Ides of March,” was oriented in the 1960s around the Kennedy assassination. Another recent production of “Antony and Cleopatra” also was set in that era.

“We created the ’60s-ish ‘Mad Men’ sort of look for both productions,” says DPR’s resident seamstress and costume designer, Kim Matthews. “In the case of ‘Antony and Cleopatra,’ for instance, we had the Romans dressed in ’60s-era business suits and hats and all the Egyptians were dressed like hippies,” laughs Matthews.

“We’re a fairly young group and still building up our wardrobe, so I’m always on the lookout for bargains and optimizing my resources, which can sometimes mean making costumes from curtains, bedspreads, cloth remnants and the like,” Matthews says. The reward was, as she puts it, to paint a rich and authentic picture of the characters for the audience through fabric.

Indeed, part of painting that authentic and complete picture for the audience often means interjecting a comedic musical twist or two.

“We try to help the language along, which admittedly can be challenging at times, by infusing modern pop songs before a show and during intermission,” notes Music Director Tony Vitullo.

Vitullo, whose band named Antic Disposition (derived from “Hamlet” Act I, Scene 5), played the 1972 hit “Back Stabbers” by Philadelphia soul group The O’Jays during a recent production of “The Ides of March” and the popular Beatles tune “When I’m 64” during “Lysistrata.”

“The musical interludes are often unexpected, but our audiences are always appreciative,” chuckles Vitullo, adding everyone has a lot of fun.

“I would have never envisioned the Greek production of ‘Lysistrata’ as a musical,” says patron Mary Kay Hansen of Browns Mills. “I just laughed and laughed throughout the play, enjoying every bit.”

Unlike conventional plays performed on a stage, The Dead Playwrights Repertory performs in an open environment, where actors and the audience are within just a few feet of each other.

“When performing in the round or in a thrust stage environment, as did actors of the Elizabethan period, there’s constant action all around you,” observes actress Wendie Hetherington. “All our entrances and exits are done through the audience, you always speak to and interact directly with the audience, so we all share in that up close and personal experience.

“The language of this period, the facial expressions, body language and all the other subtle nuances can be very challenging, so it’s particularly important to pay attention to the meter, the rhythm, the phrasing and the general delivery of lines, so that the audience can get the full effect of what Shakespeare intended,” she says.

No one knows better about the intricacies, nuances and challenges of Elizabethan period acting than DPR’s Artistic Director Douglas Overtoom.

“We are a repertory theater company, which means that we do several shows — typically three — in rotation, one every night, rather than just one single performance,” explains Overtoom, adding that many plays naturally tie together.

Overtoom brings a wealth of knowledge to the table not only through his experience as a full-time drama teacher at Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy in Camden, but also as someone who studied in London under Partick Tucker, a protege of John Barton, co-founder of The Royal Shakespeare Company and its director for many decades.

It was a little more than a year ago that this small group of business professionals by day and actors by night opted to part ways with The Collingswood Shakespeare Company to form their own all volunteer, not-for-profit company.

“We all loved performing Shakespeare with The Collingswood Shakespeare Company, but by the same token, some of us wanted to branch out and perform works of other playwrights, so as to encompass the entire world of classic literature from ancient times through to the mid-19th century,” explains actor and Dead Playwrights Repertory Director Darryl Thompson.

To that end, plays by English Elizabethan playwrights Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlowe and John Ford are all being considered for future staging, as are plays from French playwright Moliere, Norwegian Henrik Ibsen, along with ancient Greeks Aeschylus and Sophocles.

“In looking at the big picture, we will certainly continue performing plays by Shakespeare, but we also are looking to resurrect plays that perhaps are considered either dead, mostly forgotten or that few have ever heard of in the first place and hence our name,” says Thompson.

–Eric Herr

The Dead Playwrights Repertory will be doing staged readings, or mini productions, of ‘Titus Andronicus’ Saturday at 8 p.m.; an original production of ‘Bard-’O-Ween,’ a compilation of classical literature, story telling, and music Sunday at 3 p.m.; and ‘Henry VIII’ Sunday at 7 p.m.

Those who attend will have the opportunity to vote on which play they would like to see as a full production, next spring.

All performances will be at the Friends Meeting House, 45 Friends Ave., Haddonfield. Ticket prices are: $10 a single show; $25 for all 3 shows; $5 for dinner in between ‘Bard-’O-Ween’ and ‘Henry VIII.’

For a lifelong lover of all things theatrical, what could top auditioning for a show and learning you’ve been cast?

For Tami Brody, 48, of Cherry Hill, that moment came when — after a two-decade hiatus from performing — she auditioned along with her eldest son, Taylor, for Haddonfield Plays & Players’ production of “Titanic: The Musical.”

“Taylor helped me prepare for my audition,” explained Brody, who landed a supporting character role as Charlotte Cardoza. Taylor, 20, will play Harold Bride, a major supporting character.

HP & P’s production of the Tony Award-winning musical, running through Nov. 3, is based on real people onboard the Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank on April 14, 1912. The story and book are by Peter Stone; music and lyrics by Maury Yeston.

Pat DeFusco is the show’s director; Sue C. Stein is the producer.

“It’s an ensemble show with 54 cast members,” said Brody, a 1982 graduate of Cherry Hill High School East, where she was an active thespian. She later participated in community theater and was Children’s Theatre Director at the JCC Camps at Medford in the late 1990s through early 2000s.

“Charlotte Cardoza (who survived the disaster) was from a very affluent family in Germantown, Pennsylvania and was a woman before her time,” said Brody. “She was a first-class passenger and reserved the largest state room. She brought with her 14 steamer trunks, her own sheets and pillows and four Pekingese dogs.”

Taylor, a 2011 Cherry Hill High School East grad, attends Rowan University and works part-time at the Garden State Discovery Museum.

“Harold Bride was a second wireless telegraph operator,” said Taylor Brody. “He was receiving warnings that the iceberg was in the area and was trying desperately to get help. The role is incredibly challenging. It’s the first time I’m playing a character that actually existed.”

In addition to Tami and Taylor Brody, there are two married couples , a father/son and sister/brother combination.

Gearing up for opening night, it dawned on Tami that this will be the first time she won’t be in the audience watching her son. “I never missed one of Taylor’s performances,” she said, though she admitted she may take a peak from backstage.

“It’s incredibly exciting,” said Taylor.

Mom echoed his sentiments: “Now we can support each other as cast members. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Their friendship goes back to elementary school; their musical partnership, to their teens. Today, nearly 40 years after they first met, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers — together known as the folk-pop duo Indigo Girls — are still going strong, forging a sturdy career in an ever-fickle music industry.

“We like to change up what we do,” Ray, 48, said recently by phone. “It keeps it fresh and fun for us, and hopefully for the audiences, too.”

The duo — who perform at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood on Sunday — are in the midst of a unique run of live shows, some performed with a full band; others, with a symphony orchestra.

For their upcoming Scottish Rite show, the Girls are in rock-band mode, combining their talents with those of Atlanta band The Shadowboxers, who will open for them and serve as their backing band.

Since late August, the duo has been alternating between a handful of “band” shows, followed by a run of “symphony” shows — using local orchestras in the cities where they play, a move that enables them to get in the appropriate groove from performance to performance.

“It’s not like we’re with a rock band one night and an orchestra the next — we’re doing a group of each at the time,” Ray explained. “Both types of performances challenge us in different ways. And being challenged — getting a kick in the butt — makes you a better artist.”

The five-member Shadowboxers, Ray said, “are fantastic and they have a certain sound that blends together with ours.”

“Three of the guys in the band are singers, too, so we get these great three-part harmonies from them when we do stuff together,” she said. “They’re really, really entertaining and audiences love them.”

Even if there are times onstage when Ray concedes that “they do steal our thunder,” she and Saliers don’t care: “It’s brought a lot of new energy to our music — it works great to be able to go full-on with an electric band and then take it down a little on the pretty ballads. We have a lot of flexibility playing with them.”

Because the Indigo Girls “don’t want to keep doing the same thing over and over,” working with different people “keeps things interesting for us and for our audiences.”

From the duo’s debut album, 1987’s self-produced “Strange Fire,” to their most recent, last year’s “Beauty Queen Sister,” their formula has remained consistent: Ray and Saliers write separately and each contributes about the same number of songs on their records.

Onstage, they tend to switch off between one another’s songs, constructing a set list with a good flow and one that highlights each other’s talents. And they’re not above tossing in a few cover songs, either: Lately, Ray says, it’s been Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue.”

“We’ve been at it a long time and we never get tired of the shows,” Ray said.

Ray met Saliers when she was only 10; by high school, they were singing together. Things started taking truly off when the two were attending Atlanta’s Emory University in the mid-’80s, and the pair began performing weekly at a local club called The Dugout.

Championed by fellow musicians — including R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe — Ray and Saliers signed with Epic Records and released their self-titled debut album in 1989. One track from the record, “Closer to Fine” — still a concert favorite — earned them the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. (They lost the Grammy for Best New Artist that year to the infamous R&B duo Milli Vanilli.)

Over the years, they’ve sold more than 12 million records, with seven reaching gold status, four going platinum and one going double platinum. With 14 studio albums and three live records, the Indigo Girls have also racked up seven Grammy nominations over the past 25 years.

After releasing nine albums with major record labels between 1987 and 2007, the Indigo Girls decided to go back to their pre-label days, self-producing their recordings and releasing them on their own IG label.

The duo’s latest effort (and their 14th album), “Beauty Queen Sister,” was a collaboration with a group of Nashville musicians the Girls have known for some time: “It was a really live record; the theme is really about the music and about the collaboration between all of us as musicians,” said Ray.

The openly gay (but not romantically involved) duo has long been involved in social, political and environmental issues. A few years ago,

Ray also founded a non-profit organization that promotes independent musicians, while Saliers is an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry and a published author.

Ray is especially busy, having released six solo albums over the years, work she says is “influenced by punk and rock, but that still has a pop sensibility.”

“We never had any grand master plan, career-wise,” Ray said of her partnership with Saliers. “We had long and short-term goals and we still take things as they come and see how things unfold.”

Most importantly, she notes, the two are “still loving what we do.”

–Nicole Pensiero

The Indigo Girls with special guest The Shadowboxers play the Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, on Sunday. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $29, $37 and $44. Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000.

Shop, play, and learn about local history at Harvest Festival set for Saturday at the Olde Stone House Village, an event presented by the Washington Township Historic Preservation Commission.

Fun activities are planned for everyone, including building tours, raffles, and things for children to do such as pumpkin decorating and face painting.

The picturesque village, a frequent backdrop for wedding photographs, will be decorated for Harvest Festival with corn stalks, bales of hay, and pumpkins.

“We will have lots to eat and lots of vendors for shopping,” said Barbara Rippert, chairwoman of the event.

Nearly 40 vendors will display their wares including jewelry, handmade angels, crocheted items, and products such as Avon.

Several historic buildings on site will be open for tours. Broom-making and candle dipping, as well of other arts and crafts of the 18th and 19th century, will be demonstrated.

“The Tea Place will hold a sit-down tea and serve bakery samples in the train station,” Rippert said. More than a day of fun, the purpose of Harvest Festival is to encourage an appreciation for local history among residents and to raise money for building repairs at the Olde Stone House site.

“It’s a beautiful little village,” said Nick Appice, commission chairman, who remembers visiting the site as a child with his fellow classmates from the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.

But such visits by local schools have stopped, largely because of building disrepair.

“My goal is to revitalize the village,” said Appice. “It fell to the wayside over the last couple of years and we want to get residents back interested in it,” he said.

Also called the James G. Atkinson Historical Site, the Olde Stone House Village was assembled in the 1980s when various old landmarks from throughout the township were moved there, said Appice.

The Stone House and the smoke house, both built around 1730, are the only structures original to the site.

The house was built of locally quarried Jersey sandstone which was hand cut, said Appice.

George and Susanna Morgan and their six children, were the first occupants of the house. In the 20th century, the house was also owned by Frank and Anna Atkinson, who lived there with their four children, including James G. Atkinson, who was a Gloucester County freeholder director from 1994-1997.

“We have a lot of repairs to do. We want to fix the roof on the stone house and to get the herb garden back in shape. We are selling engravable bricks to redo the walkways,” he said.

“It’s a lot of work and expense. The commission has been short of funds and volunteers. So this year we have just a completed a 180 degree turn-around. We are on the move again,” said Appice.

In addition to the Olde Stone House, the village also includes the 1825-era Quay House, once owned by John Turner, founder of Turnersville, the 1864 Turnersville Post Office, the old railway station and the old Bunker Hill Presbyterian Church.

The church, which seats 100, will be used in December for a planned wedding.

“It will be very nice, because it will be decorated for Christmas,” said Appice. “Recently, we received two other requests to use the church for weddings,” he said.

Other events have been held this year to raise funds for building repairs. They have included a car show, a community yard sale, a farmer’s market, a festival celebrating the role of trains in the development of Washington Township, and a Chili Cook-off.

After Harvest Festival, a ghost-hunting tour is set in the village on Oct. 27.

The Olde Stone House village will be open for Christmas, with a place for children to write and mail letters to Santa from inside the village’s own post office. Santa, himself, will come for a visit.

– Jeanne Ridgway / Photos provided

Harvest Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at The Olde Stone House Village, 208 Egg Harbor Road. For information, call (609) 221-8833.

Crafters and artisans will line the streets and community groups and organizations of every variety will be represented along Kings Highway in Haddonfield Saturday for the Fall Festival and Craft Show.

The lineup of activities includes carriage rides, trolley tours, tree tours, historic tours, live music, demonstrations, food and plenty of fun. Kids can partake in chalk tree art and scarecrow making, to name just a few of the hands-on activities.

Garaguso Classical Martial Arts will hold a ribbon cutting at 2 p.m. followed by demonstrations on Kings Highway at 2:30 p.m.

The Haddonfield Farmers Market will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. along Tanner Street.

“The Fall Festival has been around for about 20 years,” explained Haddonfield Mayor Tish Colombi.

“It was started as a thank you to the many groups and organizations that benefit our community. We have school groups, sports groups, clubs and usually some kind of political presence since it is so close to Election Day. And, of course our restaurants are invited out onto the sidewalks to provide food to the many residents and guests who come to stroll the highway.”

A borough resident for 43 years and mayor for the last 12, Colombi described the event as “a really festive, feel-good day that gives each of these organizations the chance to show off all the good things they do.”

Haddonfield, steeped in tradition, has long welcomed crafters to its historic district.

Marcy Boroff of Renaissance Craftables serves as craft show director. “The Fall Festival will include more than 100 crafters,” said Boroff, adding that a number of the exhibitors also take part in the annual summer crafts and fine arts event. Crafters will display and sell their creations: jewelry, pottery, glass, wood, clothing, seasonal items, sculpture and more.

Said Colombi, “We like to think there is something for everyone in town, from kids to grandparents. Without all these fantastic groups that are constantly giving back, Haddonfield would not be the community it is today.

–Jan L. Apple

Haddonfield’s Fall Festival & Craft Show takes place along Kings Highway on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The rain date is Sunday noon until 5 p.m. Free.

The second Saturday in October traditionally means only one thing in Barrington: the annual Harvest Festival. The event has become one of the most popular events in South Jersey, with attendance generally ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 people.

This year, the borough is thinking bigger than just South Jersey. Barrington wants to get the attention of the whole world.

Barrington will attempt to add its name to the Guinness Book of World Records by breaking the world record for the largest egg toss competition.

“The thought initially was for something Barrington can do together to separate ourselves as a community,” said lifelong town resident Mike Drumm, one of the event’s organizers. “The record was set in Alaska in 2007 or 2008, and they had 1,162 people,” he said.

Barrington is hoping for 1,200 contestants. “The record is for (number of) people, and there are teams of two,” Drumm explained. “You stand face-to-face, throw the egg, and take a step back.

“Then you keep throwing and taking a step back until the egg breaks, and then you’re out.”

Guinness requires a winner. After the competition is over and the results are sent in, contestants are able to go online and get a certificate that they helped to break a world record.

“Barrington, New Jersey, will be recognized as the world record-holder, not individuals,” Drumm clarified.

Entry was initially $20, but the contest got some sponsors, and it is now free to be part of the world record attempt. “Since we’re wasting eggs, we want to donate to a food bank,” Drumm said. “We reimbursed the people that entered earlier.”

The Harvest Festival is put together by the Barrington Civic Association and is co-chaired by Barbara Hanson and Megan O’Donnell. Hanson expects about 200 vendors, and the event will offer two food court areas with table seating.

The festival features entertainment and attractions for all ages, including a kids’ section in the public parking lot at 2nd and Trenton streets, behind Barrington First United Methodist Church.

“We will have five types of inflatable rides, pony rides and a petting zoo,” Hanson said. “Kids can buy a wristband for $10 to ride on whatever they choose all day.”

A hayride costs $1 per person, and there will be sand art, face painting, balloon art, games and crafts.

Entertainment is scheduled on three stages. The Rock ‘N Roll Stage showcases local talent and bands, while the Main Stage has the Main Stage Performing Arts Group between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Hanson says the popular “Barrington’s Got Talent” competition will return for its sixth year on the Main Stage at 1 p.m. “From 2 to 4 p.m., we will have MidLife Crisis, an a capella group who performs doo wop, soul and rock ‘n’ roll.”

The Kids & Family Stage will see street level performances from local companies Gotta Dance, Next Stage Dance and Lucky Nickle Theater Group. Hanson said that the day will also feature strolling entertainment, juggling, stilt walking, and unicycling. And popular local band the Paisley Pickels will sing original songs for the children.

Free parking for the festival will be available at Edmund Optics at 101 East Gloucester Pike. A shuttle bus will go from the lot to the festival and also will pick up seniors at Barrington Mews.

The Barrington Fire Company is hosting a beer & food garden from noon to 10 p.m. at the firehouse. And it will be the seventh year for the classic car show, featuring prizes and a DJ playing oldies.

As for the egg toss competition, it begins at 4:30 p.m. behind Woodland School.

There are strict criteria to make such a world record happen, according to Drumm. “The people in the toss have to give an effort, and a witness has to watch 25 teams to make sure they are trying,” he noted. “We have to rope off the field, and we have to videotape it and send it to (Guinness).

“It’s all fun, and family oriented.”

–Bob Holt

The Barrington Harvest Festival will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday in downtown Barrington. Call Barbara Hanson at (856) 217-3924 for more information. More on the Largest Egg Toss Competition can be found at www.barringtonworldrecord.com.